Monroe, Marla - Their Border Lands Gift [Men of the Border Lands 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (23 page)

Afterwards, she insisted on a wearing one of their superlarge T-shirts and a pair of panties. She wanted to go downstairs and sit on the couch.

“You’ll get tired and need to lie back down soon, baby. The trip up the stairs will wear you out.” Bruce helped her step into her underwear.

“I’ll be fine. I need to get downstairs.”

“Why do you need to be downstairs?” Marcus asked.

“Because you need to see about the animals and I want to be close so you don’t have to climb the stairs so much to see me.” She started walking toward the door to the hall and the stairs.

“Wait, baby. Let me help you.” Marcus took her upper arm and walked with her. Bruce followed behind them.

It took a good two minutes to make it down the stairs because she had to stop and rest several times. The stitches pulled when she put her foot down to the next step. She hadn’t counted on that.

“Damn, that nearly wore me out,” Marcus said.

“It did wear me out.” She smiled despite how it felt to her cheek. “I’m going to need blankets and a pillow, guys.”

“I’ll get them,” Marcus said and hurried back up the stairs.

“I’ll get you something warm to drink. Do you want some whiskey tea or whiskey cider?” he asked.

“Just some cider. No whiskey, I don’t need it right now.” She had no plans to drink any more of it, either. It wasn’t safe for the baby.

“I’ll fix you some scrambled eggs, too. You need to eat something.”

“Thanks, Bruce.”

Marcus came barreling down the stairs with two blankets and two pillows. “The pillows came off the other beds so you don’t have to worry about them going back upstairs. We’ve got plenty of blankets.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. When you got hurt, Joel, Jonathan, and Leigh came over. They heard the gunshots and came to see if we needed help.”

“Oh my God! Did they see me like this?” Kate was appalled.

“The guys didn’t. Leigh did and helped us get you comfortable. She’s been sending one of the guys over almost every day to find out how you are.”

“They are good people, Marcus,” she said.

Bruce walked in with a plate of scrambled eggs and her cup of cider. “Who’s good people?”

“Joel’s family,” Marcus said.

“They helped me clean up the mess out back when they came over. You’re right. They are good folks.” He sat the plate of eggs on her lap.

She was leaning forward to keep her back off the back of the couch. She would lie down once she finished eating. She needed to eat, though. She took a bite and had to smile when she realized it wasn’t her cooking. Bruce had done the best he could. She managed to eat almost all the slightly overcooked eggs. Once she finished she sat the plate on the coffee table and finished drinking the cider. Then she stretched out on her side with her head on one pillow and her arm over the other one.

“You okay now?” Bruce looked worried.

“I’m fine. You two go do whatever you need to do. I’m going to take a nap now.”

She was slowly becoming used to the idea of being pregnant, but she needed more time to think about it. She needed to be prepared for whatever the men did or said––or didn’t say.

Chapter Eighteen

“Marcus. I think Kate is pregnant.” Bruce finally spit it out after beating around the bush for twenty minutes while they rounded up the cattle.

“What?” Marcus nearly lost his balance on the horse. “Are you sure?”

“She’s late. I sort of keep up with that so we don’t push her when she’s not feeling well.”

“And she was sick early this morning,” Marcus added. “Ah, hell.”

“What do you think about it?” Bruce asked his brother.

“I’m—I’m not sure. I mean, we knew it would happen, but now, when she’s hurt and when we have this wolf problem?”

“Well, before we go back in that house, we better have things settled in our heads. She’s going to tell us soon, and if we’re iffy on it, she’s going to be upset. She doesn’t need to be upset and pregnant and hurt, Marcus.”

“Well how do you feel about it?”

“I’m like you. It’s not the best time, but then when is the best time? We’re not the only ones dealing with this now. Brandon’s family and Brice’s family are in the same boat.” Bruce sighed and shot off to rein in one of the cows that had started off in the wrong direction, again. “I swear, that is going to be the first cow we’re going to kill when we start selling meat.”

Marcus snickered but quickly sobered up when Bruce frowned at him.

“Look, we just have to accept it and present a solid front that we’re okay with it.” Marcus sighed.

“I can do that. I’m just not sure we can pull it off. She’s going to know we’re hiding how we feel if we act like we’re perfectly happy about it.”

“I’m actually a little excited, Bruce. I’m just worried.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I can remember wanting children with Irene, but it never happened. Then she was gone. I wasn’t letting myself think about Kate like that because I didn’t want to fall for her, so I don’t know how I feel right now.”

“What are we going to do when it’s time for her to have the baby?” Marcus’s face grew pale, and Bruce had to chuckle.

“We deliver it. That’s what we do.”

“Maybe we could get one of the other women to come over and help her,” Marcus suggested.

“She’s going to expect us to help her, Marcus. You better get that into your head now.” Bruce turned the cows closer to the fence line and began driving them toward the house. They kept them close to the house at night so if they heard anything, they could come out with their rifles.

Marcus pointed toward the house. “Look. It’s Joel. I bet Jonathan and Leigh are at the house wanting inside. Kate can’t get up and let them in.”

“I’ll let them in. You finish out here,” Bruce said.

Marcus nodded and moved up to run the herd closer while Bruce took off toward the house. He met Joel halfway there.

“Let me borrow your horse, and I’ll help Marcus finish up the cows while the women visit.”

“Thanks, Joel. I appreciate that.” He climbed off the horse and handed the reigns over to the other man.

He hurried to the back door and was halfway across the kitchen when he heard Jonathan and Leigh laughing. How had they gotten in?

“Hey, Bruce. Let Leigh check Kate out real quick. She got up and let us in. We didn’t realize she was downstairs and would come to the door. I’m worried about her.” He ushered Bruce back into the kitchen and closed the door.

“She’s fine. I wouldn’t have dragged you off if I was really worried.”

“They want to girl talk.” Bruce finished for him.

“Yeah, that’s what I figure.”

“How about some coffee?” He got up and put the water on to boil in the pot.

“How is she really doing?” Jonathan asked.

“She’s doing really well. She’s depressed some about the scarring, though.”

“I understand Heather went through that, but the baby took her mind off of it.”

“Well, we seem to be in the same boat. Don’t say anything, because she hasn’t told us, but we’re pretty sure she’s pregnant.”

“Congratulations!” Jonathan shook Bruce’s hand until he thought it would fall off.

“Thanks, I’m not sure how this is going to work out, with everything happening right now. Between her being hurt and the wolves, I’m really worried.”

“Well, we’ve gotten everyone involved with the idea of a communal garden. We can grow more like this than separately and keep the women safer.”

“We’re also talking about running one herd of cattle. One group works them for a week at a time and we rotate them around so that everyone takes a turn and no one person is overworked when we have families to take care of.”

“Sounds like an interesting plan. It might work.” Bruce was willing to entertain anything that would help keep his family safe. Now more than ever.

“Um, guys? Can we have some cider?” Leigh walked into the kitchen with a smile. “She’s fine, Bruce. She didn’t pull any stitches or anything.”

“Good. I never dreamed she would try to get up and answer the door. She’s just that stubborn.” Bruce poured up some cider and set it on the stove to warm. “I’ll bring it to you when it’s warm.”

“Thanks.” She closed the door behind her and returned to the living room.

“So what are you going to do when she tells you?” Jonathan asked.

“I don’t know yet. We don’t want her to think we’re mad or upset really, but if we act happy and excited, she’s going to know something’s up.”

“Tell her the truth. Tell her you wish things were better to raise a child, but you’re happy if she is. That’s the bottom line, isn’t it?”

“I guess you’re right.” He turned to the stove. “Looks like the coffee and the cider are both ready.”

* * * *

The men saw Joel and his family out while Kate rested on the couch. She was exhausted from sitting up so much, but she had refused to lie down while the guys were in the room. She was very thankful for the blankets that covered her from neck to toe.

“Baby, how about we fix you something to eat and then we help you upstairs to bed. You’re so exhausted, you’re pale.” Marcus kissed her cheek and then her forehead.

“That sounds like a good idea to me,” she agreed.

Bruce disappeared into the kitchen for the next thirty minutes then emerged with a bowl of soup and some cheese. She sighed. She loved the cheese they made with the milk. It would give her the protein she needed for the baby. She grinned and ate the cheese, then worked on the soup. By the time she had finished the bowl, it was shaking in her hands.

Marcus took it from her and set it on the coffee table. She smiled at him.

“Let’s get you upstairs,” he said.

Bruce stood up, and between the two of them, they managed to help her up and up the first few steps. She rested every couple of steps. It frustrated her to have to stop so often. She was afraid the men would be impatient with her. Once she was on the bed, Kate sighed and closed her eyes.

“We’re going to go downstairs and eat and clean up, Kate. Do you need anything before we go?” Bruce asked.

“I need to tell you something,” she said.

“What, baby?” Marcus asked.

She eyed them. They looked entirely too sure of themselves. They knew. She huffed out a breath.

“I’m pregnant, but I think you already knew that.” She watched them closely.

“We guessed, baby. You were sick this morning, and you’re late.” Bruce smiled.

“You kept up with my periods?”

“Sort of.”

Hmm
was all she could think of to say.

“Everything will work out fine, baby. Just relax and take care of yourself.” Marcus sounded more like what she had expected from him. Worried.

“Go eat and clean up. I don’t want to come back to find my kitchen a complete wreck,” she fussed.

“We’ll make sure it’s in good shape when you get well enough to do anything in it, Kate.” Bruce grinned and pulled Marcus by the arm toward the door. “Just holler if you need us for something before we get back up here.”